disclaimer: the usual.

Chapter 19.

Every meal in the Hogwarts great hall is supervised by three teachers. We rotate meal duty, I drew that weeks Saturday morning breakfast with Theresa and Filius. We sat at the head table as we watched the students fall asleep in their pumpkin juice (vile stuff in my opinion, thank goodness the house elves kept orange juice in stock as well).

"So Glinda," Filius asked me," how is your martial arts club working out?"

"Quite good actually," I answered, "we're up to eleven students for my Monday morning class and fifteen in Wednesday afternoon. I know that I'm going to loose some of them when Quidditch season takes off. Some of the boys were a little disappointed that they weren't going to be beating each other up, but now they've gotten into it. I like to think that they'll really get something out of it."

"Well, the students really do love you, I believe that I overheard of of my older Ravenclaws refer to you as 'amazing'."

"Wow," I felt genuinely touched. "What a lovely compliment. I enjoyed being an instructor at the Bureau, but the bureaucratic bull got to me after a while, when my retirement came up, I took my pension and ran with it. I'd been out of work for about a month and a half when Harry's letter arrived. I jumped at the chance to work with the kids. I love this place, the kids are wonderful, and so are my coworkers." The owls showed up with the morning mail. I got a copy of the Daily Prophet, and two owl order catalogs.

"So, do you have anything planned for the weekend?" Theresa asked me as she opened her copy of Witch Weekly.

"I'm supposed to meet Charlie at the Three broomsticks around noon, I'm not sure what's going on after that."

"That man of yours has it bad, he's absolutely crazy about... HOLY SHIT!" She shoved the magazine in my face, the headline: Ministry Official In Hot Romance with Mystery Woman, caught my eye, the picture of Charlie and I kissing outside his apartment made me choke on my toast.

"That's quite a photo," Filius commented dryly, as he dislodged the toast with a sharp pat to my back.

"Thank you, " I said to him. "Dammit," I muttered.

"It was bound to happen eventually," Theresa commented, "you're dating a member of one of the most famous wizard families in Britain. Did you know he won the 'Most Charming Smile' title last year?"

"He never told me, I know this was bound to happen eventually." I grumbled as I studied the short article that accompanied the picture. The writer didn't use my name, nor did she seem to have any idea who I was. I was 'the Mystery Woman'.

Victoire got up from her seat and strode up to the staff table, "Professor Goode, may I have a private word with you?" she asked.

"Certainly," I said. "In the alcove?"

"Yes, mam."

"What's up?" I asked as soon as we had privacy.

"Is this true," she asked holding up the magazine, open to the gossip page. "I'm sure it's you in the picture."

"Well, I haven't read the entire article, but if it's anything like the tabloids in the states then it probably mostly false."

"Are you shagging my uncle?"

"Excuse me?" I asked rather indignantly, "is that really of your business young lady?"

"What are your intentions towards my uncle?" The look on her face was so serious and concerned. I knew she was asking out of love for Charlie.

"My intentions are completely honorable," I assured her, "he's very special to me."

"Well, that's all right then, Dommie owled me that he'd brought you to meet the cousins, she was sure that you guys were just friends. Sometimes she's so clueless. Anyway, he's my godfather, I have to look out for his interests." She paused for a second. "Well, I'm glad he's finally found someone, and I'm glad that it's you. Even if you did give me a detention last monday."

"Professor Longbottom was very happy with your work, he says that you have a natural aptitude for plants."

"Herbology is my favorite subject," she explained. "Now, what are you wearing for your date this weekend. Uncle really likes magenta." I guess I had the approval of at least one member of the Weasley family.

***************************

Charlie was waiting for me at the Three Broomsticks, exactly as he'd promised. "Merlin's beard," he said as he hugged me at the door.

"Missed you, too," I said, as I leaned up and kissed him. When we separated he led me to a quiet circular booth in the back. We sat down and I pulled the copy Witch Weekly that Theresa had been kind enough to lend me. "Did you see this?" I asked as I opened it to the gossip page.

"See what?" he looked at the article. "Ah well," he sighed "that explains the note I got from Mum this morning. She wants me to bring the 'mystery woman' over for dinner. She wanted it to be this Sunday, but I told her we already had plans. Mum can be a bit overwhelming at first." He must've noticed the apprehensive look on my face because he took my hand and said, "she and Dad are gonna love you. Especially, Dad seeing as you're muggleborn. Obsessed with muggles he is."

"Honestly Charlie, I'm more worried about their reaction to the whole 'dragon DNA' thing."

He just shook his head and kissed me again, as if to reassure me. "They're going to love you."

I just shrugged. "By the way," I mentioned. "Victoire confronted me with the article at breakfast and asked me what my intentions were."

"She didn't?" he looked like he was going to burst out laughing.

"She most certainly did, I assured her that my intentions are completely honorable."

"Damn," he joked. "I kind of wish they weren't." He grinned suggestively.

"You are such a brat." I muttered.

"I know, but you still love me."

"Well, yeah, somebody's got to do it."

"Excellent, because I happen to love you, and well, if you didn't love me, that would just be awkward." He pulled me into another kiss.

"Bullocks! you two are nauseating," I looked up and saw a very tall woman with very short spiky blond hair, and horn rimmed glasses, and a disgusted look on her face. She looked to be about twenty-five.

"Why hello Petula," Charlie greeted her with a grin. "What brings you to Hogsmeade?"

"Visiting my aunt, I came in here for lunch and what do I see, my boss in a corner, snogging. By the way Charlie, are you going to introduce us?"

"Of course, Glinda, this is Petula Pevensey, my very able assistant, and only reason I haven't been sacked at the Ministry. Petula, this is Glinda Goode, Hogwarts professor, and the love of my life."

"Now, I really do have to vomit," she muttered as I moved over to make a seat for her. She sat down and we shook hands. "It really is a pleasure to meet you Glinda, since he's foungs Charlie's been much less of a bother."

"Glad I could help," I chuckled.

"Very funny, Petula."

"So Charlie are you bringing Glinda to the wedding next month?"

"I was about to ask her before we were so rudely interrupted. Glinda, would you like to go to Petula's wedding on October fifteenth?"

"Sure, I'd love to."

"Excellent then, well, I hate to pester and run, but I think Aunt Margaret wants to eat lunch now," she motioned to an elderly woman sitting at a table a few yards from us. "By the way, she asked me if I could get the two of you to autograph this..." she pulled out another copy of Witch Weekly.

"And so the circus begins," I mumbled, as I pulled a pen out of my handbag.

author's note: well, that was chapter 19. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to Rumpelsnorcack for helping me over my "literary hump". And thank you to everyone who reads.